Buttler blasts Somerset to thrilling triumph

Jos Buttler's unbeaten 58 saw Somerset to a thrilling five-wicket win over Northants with one ball to spare in the Friends Life t20 match at Taunton.

Buttler, overlooked for England's latest ODI squad, produced two scooped boundaries off the last two balls of the penultimate over to reach a brilliant half-century off 36 balls.

Northants had posted 137 for five after winning the toss, Cameron White hitting 47 not out and David Willey an unbeaten 30 as George Dockrell was the pick of the Somerset bowlers with two for 17. The visitors defended the total tenaciously, with James Middlebrook and Jack Brooks taking two wickets each but could not contain Buttler, who received valuable support from Arul Suppiah (14 not out) at the death.

Nottinghamshire breezed to a seven-wicket victory over Durham in their clash at Chester-le-Street.

Set a paltry 115 to win, the Outlaws reached their target with 3.4 overs to spare for their second win in the Northern Group while their other game, against Derbyshire, was washed out on Friday. Openers Alex Hales and Michael Lumb took them more than halfway there, putting on 62 for the first wicket before Hales came down the pitch to Scott Borthwick and was stumped when the leg-spinner beat the bat. Hales made a run-a-ball 30, Lumb 46 off 39 balls.

Kent got off the mark in the Friends Life t20 with a convincing eight-wicket victory over Surrey at Beckenham. Led by Rob Key, who hit an unbeaten 51, and Darren Stevens, whose 43 not out came off just 25 balls and included four sixes, the hosts cantered home with 22 deliveries to spare after Surrey could only muster 116 for seven in their 20 overs.

A record opening stand of 122 between skipper Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques put Yorkshire on track for a 22-run victory over reigning champions Leicestershire at Headingley.

The fine start set Yorkshire up for a total of 170 for four after winning the toss, and the visitors were dismissed for 148 in reply, Australian paceman Mitchell Starc claiming the last three wickets in the final over. It was Yorkshire's first win in the competition this season but it left title-holders Leicestershire still trying to break their duck after three consecutive defeats.

Chris Liddle bowled a sensational penultimate over to help Sussex clinch an 11-run victory over Middlesex at Lord's. Liddle took three wickets in four balls to finish with career-best figures of five for 17 and wreck Middlesex's hopes of chasing down Sussex's total of 143 for eight.

Worcestershire got their campaign under way with dazzling half-centuries by Moeen Ali and Phil Hughes in a comfortable 47-run victory over Gloucestershire at New Road.

With both sides having their opening fixtures washed out on Friday, it was Worcestershire who seized the momentum with Moeen's competition-best 82 from 44 balls setting up an imposing total of 213 for two.

With Hughes equally punishing in reaching an unbeaten 78 from 48 deliveries, the target was too much for the Gladiators. Jack Shantry (four for 33) and Gareth Andrew (three for 20) both took two wickets in an over as they folded for 166.

Glamorgan beat Warwickshire by five runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected match. Jim Allenby smashed 24 off 15 balls for Glamorgan.

After enduring a tricky start to his Manchester United career, perhaps it is fair that Marcos Rojo celebrated so boisterously as he watched his first professional club Estudiantes beat fierce rivals Gimnasia